Creature Comforts: Thinking Inside The Box

Through an unusual donation program, shoe shoppers in Newport News can help cats at the Peninsula SPCA stay comfortably boxed in.

It's a small thing, a shoebox. You've probably thrown dozens away.

But a partnership between the Peninsula Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and Payless ShoeSource at Patrick Henry Mall turns that throwaway cardboard into tangible comfort for the homeless cats at the Newport News shelter.

Customers at the shoe store might notice the appealing photos that adorn the check-out counter. Kittens and cats nestle into cozy hideouts or play on top of overturned boxes.

Along with "cash or credit?" shoppers at Payless are likely to be asked, "Would you like to donate your box?"

If they agree, the box from the shoes they're buying will be added to the three or four large plastic bags that SPCA volunteer and board member Meredith Hines picks up each week.

The hundred or so boxes will provide clean, disposable places for the shelter's cats to curl up or sleep. There might be a kitten snuggled into a box that once held infant shoes, or a mama cat and her new litter stretched out in a boot box.

Hines started her quest for boxes a couple of years ago, when she noticed that the shelter's cats tended to sleep in their litterboxes, seeking a confined, safe-feeling space. The boxes give them a little extra comfort, she said.

"They'll just curl up and go to sleep. They feel more secure and happy."

Hines started bringing in cast-off boxes from her workplace, but the shelter needed more.

"One day I was in Payless, and I said, 'Hey, do you have any extra boxes?' " she said.

The store's employees were eager to help, and even took the program a step further. When the SPCA sent along photos of grateful cats and kittens, the workers taped them up by the register and started asking customers to pitch in.

"After they see the photos, they gladly give us their boxes," said sales associate Melinda Haskins. "I think it's a really good idea."

The idea was such a good one, the partnership was featured in an issue of Animal Sheltering magazine, published by the Humane Society of the United States. The ASPCA said the idea had created "quite a stir in their organization," and that they'd be sending the suggestion to shelters nationwide.

The shelter takes in anywhere from five to 50 cats a day, said SPCA marketing coordinator Vicki Rowland, so the demand for boxes is steady.

The reminder at the store also helps the organization raise awareness of the plight of homeless animals.

Of the dozens brought into the shelter daily, only about half are adopted.

"At the SPCA, we work so hard to help all cats

but the harsh reality is that we are only able to change one cat's life at a time," Hines said. "It is a dream come true to improve the quality of life of millions of cats in shelters across the country. We hope this will inspire others to remember that every small gesture counts." *

MORE ABOUT THE PENINSULA SPCA

Web site:

www.peninsulaspca.com

Hours: 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday

Address:

523 J. Clyde Morris Blvd. Newport News, VA 23601

Phone: 595-1399

You're welcome to drop off some shoeboxes, but here are other ways to help:

* Volunteer your time or donate money.

* Ink cartridge and cell phone recycling -- Wrap in plastic bags and drop off at the SPCA. (Epson printer cartridges are not accepted.)

* Aluminum cans -- drop off crushed cans at the shelter.

* Pounds for Paws Web Cafe -- Purchase coffee online and designate your purchase for the SPCA. The company donates a percentage of sales.

* Dog food labels -- The shelter collects weight circle symbols from Purina dog food packages and proof of purchase symbols from Pedigree dry dog food. The symbols can be redeemed for rebates or merchandise. Drop off or mail to the shelter.

For details on these and other programs, click on the "donate" link at the SPCA Web site.